Monday's meeting will begin at 4 p.m. in Room 107 of the City-County
Building.

County to look at vehicle replacement

The Saline County Commission Tuesday will consider replacing five
vehicles for the Saline County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Glen Kochanowski is requesting commissioners approve, with trade in
of old vehicles, and the purchase of the new vehicles from Long McArthur, 3450
S. Ninth, for $145,656.

That price includes the purchase of some equipment and is $15,656 more than
authorized in the 2001 equipment fund.

Interim County Administrator Rita Deister is recommending commissioners
approve the purchase of the vehicles without some of the requested equipment at
a cost of $129,078, slightly below the $130,000 authorized for vehicle
purchases. She recommended the remaining equipment be purchased at the end of
the year if Kochanowski has enough surplus in his office's budget.

Tuesday's meeting begins at 11 a.m. in Room 107 of the City-County Building.

Youth leader faces molestation charge

LAWRENCE -- A Tonganoxie church youth group leader has pleaded guilty to
charges of molesting four teen-age boys who were members of his church.

Daniel Walter Peterson, 33, of Lawrence, was a youth group leader at the
Tonganoxie United Methodist Church. He pleaded guilty Friday in Douglas County
District Court to committing criminal sodomy and three counts of indecent
liberties with a child.

The offenses became known after a boy at the church told the minister that
sexual crimes had been committed at Petersen's Lawrence home. The minister
contacted Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services officials, who
then called police.

Authorities said the boys were from 13 to 15 years old at the time of the
incidents, which occurred between 1997 and 2000.

Peterson had been charged with eight counts of aggravated indecent liberties
against a child, two counts of criminal sodomy and one count of aggravated
sexual battery. Those charges were reduced in the final complaint.

Douglas County District Judge Michael Malone said Peterson could face nearly
six years in prison on the criminal sodomy charge alone. On the three other
charges, Peterson could be sentenced to an additional two years and 10 months
each, Malone said.

Wichita woman confesses to forgery

WICHITA -- A Wichita woman has pleaded guilty to forging checks to
herself to launder $567,238 from the trucking company she worked for.

Deanna J. Stroud, 55, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Wichita
Thursday.

Stroud admitted to eight counts of check forgery and three counts of money
laundering. She committed the crimes while working as a bookkeeper for Metro
Express in Wichita.

She faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison, without parole, for each
count of check forgery and a maximum of 20 years on each count of money
laundering.